Jema Dayhuff is one of the faces of 65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis (video)

Say that fast enough or hear it out of the mouth of a toddler and it starts to sound like "65 Roses."

Jema Dayhuff, 21 months, loves bacon and jumping on the bed and running around the coffee table and drinking chocolate milk. She likes wearing her vibrating vest in the morning because she gets to watch Dora the Explorer.

Jema was born with cystic fibrosis and is now one of the faces of the annual event "65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis." Billie Colson with Independence Gallery founded the fundraiser when her granddaughter was born with CF four years ago. Colson invited artists to donate their creative interpretations of roses, that are displayed and sold at Independence Gallery through the month of February.

The benefit raised $10,000 last year and this time, Colson saw artwork come in from six different states. Ninety-two cents of every dollar will go into research.

"Both Drew (Jema's dad) and I are carriers and didn't know it," said Jema's mom, Samantha Wheeler. The family is one of several that have a board of photos and information at Independence Gallery to put faces to the disease. She thought at first that the disease was like cerebral palsy and that Jema wouldn't develop normally.

Wheeler said that the disease is a genetic disorder that has a one-in-four chance of passing from carrier parents to their children.

"It was really scary when we found out," Wheeler said. When Jema had a heel prick at 4 weeks old, it was discovered that she had the disease. Wheeler and Drew Dayhuff went online and saw statistics about 20-year life spans and lung replacements. "We shouldn't have done that," she said.

Turns out that CF patients can live a long time with a proper diet.

Wheeler had a home birth prefers natural remedies and vitamins when possible. She said it was a culture shock to be thrust into the medical world.

Samantha Wheeler loves on her daughter, Jema Dahuff. Jema was born with Cystic Fibrosis and is one of the faces of "65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis."

"It was like a lesson in tolerance," Wheeler said.

Jema's body doesn't process fluids normally, which become thick and mucus-like around the lungs. Her parents give Jema extra salt and pancreatic enzymes, because her pancreas doesn't break down the nutrients in food properly. They also give her lots of vitamins and healthy, organic food.

Wheeler attributes Jema's health to her good diet. Jema, so far, has had only one small cough. Any kind of respiratory illness is a worry for a CF patient because Jema's lungs can develop bacteria easily. She wears a vibrating vest twice a day for 10 minutes each, which helps knock mucus off her lungs.

"Hand-washing and hygiene is big, teaching her not to put her hands in her mouth. I use hand spray like crazy," Wheeler said.

Wheeler and Dayhuff take Jema to Children's Hospital in Denver for checkups every three months. Medical personnel swab her throat to make sure she doesn't have any bacteria.

But none of this is a worry to Jema, who pulls out a big coloring board and goes looking for crayons, then snakes across the coffee table on her stomach, using the sides to pull herself along.

"Are you showing off for company?" Wheeler asks her, and Jema nods proudly.

Jema Dayhuff, at 21 months old, plays with her Dora the Explorer DVDs while her mother, Samantha Wheeler, looks on. Jema was born with Cystic Fibrosis and wears a "vibrating vest" every morning while she watches Dora. The vest loosens mucus from her lungs.
(
Jessica Benes
)

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